The Secret of Life

Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven.

Matthew 5:12

This is one of my favorite stories of all time. My family has been going through a lot with my grandpa in the hospital. This story keeps coming to mind. It's by Max Lucado...so you know it's gonna be good. Grab a tissue. I know it's long, but it's worth the time.

Melva was the only person in the waiting room. When she saw Eric, Landon, and Shannon, she smiled.

"Josh will be glad to see you." she told them.

"Will they let us in?" Landon asked.

"For a few minutes."

Shannon sat next to Melva. "Is he going to be okay?"

Melva spoke softly. "Josh is very sick. His heart is weak. The doctors just don't know." Her voice was firm as she spoke, but her eyes filled with tears.

"You can come in now." It was the nurse at the door. They followed her into the intensive care ward.

A circle of rooms surrounded the nurses station. Behind each glass wall were patients. Some were bandaged, others were in traction. Others, like Josh, had tubes inserted into their arms and wires that went all over their skin.

They'd never seen Josh so still. He lay on his back, eyes closed. Above his head a monitor was beeping with each heartbeat. A plastic mask connected to an oxygen hose covered his nose and mouth.

"It helps him breathe." Melva explained.

Landon and Eric stopped at the foot of the bed, but Shannon went up to Josh's side. She put her little hand in his big one and squeezed. "Can he talk?" she asked.

"Not with the oxygen tube," Melva replied, "but he can hear you." He opened his eyes.

"Look who is here to see you." Melva tried to sound cheerful.

Josh lifted his eyebrows. Eric and Landon walked around the bed and stood at the side of tehir old friend. They'd never seen him look so tired, so weak. He opened his hand, and both Eric and Landon held it. They didn't know what to say. So no one said anything. Josh's eyes went from face to face.

After a few moments Josh lifted his hand and began to draw in the air. "That means he wants to write something," Melva interpreted. "He has something to tell us."

With a pad on his stomach, Josh scrawled three words and handed them to his wife. She read them, noddod softly and assured Josh, "I'll take them there and read it."

Just then the nurse entered the room. "I'm sorry," she instructed, "but visiting time is over. You can return at five o'clock."

Josh looked at each of the children. He forced a smile from beneath the mask. The told him good-bye. Melva leaned over and kissed his forehead. "We'll be back," she whispered and left the room.

He closed his eyes.

As they walked down the hall, Landon asked Melva, "What did he write?"

She handed him the pad. The handwriting was difficult to read. "OBS...STO...OBSTER. No it's obstet..."

"Obstetrical," Melva said."He wrote 'obstetrical ward'. Josh wants me to take you there and tell you something."

It was a quiet group that rode the elevator to the lower floor.

Only Shannon spoke. "A hospital is a sad place." she commented.

"What you are about to see may change you mind," Melva responded

The elevator door opened to a room of bright colors and excited people. Bright balloons were painted on one wall, and a colorful aquarium stood in front of the other. Straight ahead were the backs of a row of people--people all looking through a large window. They were laughing and pointing and lifting up small children so they could see.

"It's the baby section!" Eric said. "This is where my cousin was born."

"Can we see the babies?" Shannon asked.

"That's why we're here." said Melva

All four went to the window. Shannon was just tall enough to peek in and see the newborns.

"They are so little!" she exclaimed.

It was easy to be amazed at the little bundles wrapped in blankets. Most were asleep, tiny faces soft and relaxed. But a couple were crying loudly. "They must be hingry," Eric laughed.

"They've had quite a journey!" Melva added.

"Man," Landon abserved, "this room is just the opposite of the room where Josh is. Here everyone is happy and excited. Up there they are quiet and afraid."

"In a way it is different," Melva agreed, "but in another it is very similar."

"How?" asked Landon

They went to a couch and took a seat. Melva spoke as she took out a letter.

"Would you like to hear it?"

They all nodded

Dear Landon, Eric, and Shannon,

This is a very important letter. Meliva is reading it to you because something has happened to me. She has brought you here because I want you to learn one of life's secrets-the secret of death.

Very few people understand death. Most are afraid of it. Most try to ignore it. Hardly anyone wants to talk about it. But God wasnt you to understand it. And He doesn't want you to be scared.

Many think death is when you go to sleep. They are wrong. Death is when you finally wake up. Death is when you see what God has seen all along.

I want you to do something for me. I want you to think about these babies. Imagine what has ahppened to them. They have just left one place and entered another. Just a few hours ago, each one of them was in a mommy's tummy. They were safe. They were warm. They had all they could eat. All they had to do was sleep.

Suddenly they were pushed into a strange world that they had never seen before.

Imagine you could speak to each one of these infants before he was born. What if you told him what was to happen? What if you said, "In a few minutes you are going to leave this tummy. Your time here is about up. Before you know you will be in a room full of people and lights and noises and smells..."

"I don't want to go." the baby might say. "I like it here. Besides I don't know what a people is.Thanks, but no thanks. I'm happy where I am. I want to just stay right here."

Landon laughed at the thought of a baby not wanting to be born. "The baby doesn't have a choice, Melva. He has to come out./"

"Yeah," Eric said, "who would want to stay inside a tummy forever?"

"That's exactly what Josh is explaining," Melva answered. "Listen ."

You see, kids, there comes a time in life when we, like the baby, have to make a journey. Just like the baby has to leave the tummy and enter this world, these comes a time for us to leave this world and go to Heaven.

And most people don't want to go. We act like the the baby in the tummy. We like it where we are. This world may not be perfect, but at least it's familiar, and we don't want to leave.

Melva struggled to read on.

Eric, Landon, and Shannon, it's time for me to leave. It's my turn to go and be with God in Heaven. I don't want you to be afraid. I'm not. It's my time. I accept that. It's okay to be sad, but don't be angry; don't be scared, God knows what H'es doing.

I will miss you, but we wont be separated very long. Someday your time will come to leave. And when it's your time, I want you to know I'll be waiting for you. I'll be there when you get there. I'll be one of those proud people standing at the glass.

And standing beside me will be your Father. Your Heavenly Father. We'll be waiting.

Don't forget the secret.

Love,

Josh

Melva had barely finished reading the letter when her name was paged over the speaker system, telling her to the intensive care unit. She swallowed hard, looked at the kids and said, "Let's go." When they reached Josh's floor, the kids waited outside as Melva went in.

When Melva returned, her face looked pale and sad. She sat on the couch and wept. "They said he dozed off and never woke up."

"He's gone away?" Shannon asked.

"No, Shannon. He hasn't gone away. He's gone home. He's finally gone home. It's the day he's always dreamed about."

I Corinthians 15:51

"I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not die, but we chall all be given new bodies."